Kibbles & Bytes Blog

  • Follow Us on Ustream!

    On Wednesdays at 5PM, Rebecca and Matt take Mac, iPod and even iPhone tech questions via “Twitter”:http://twitter.com/hellosmalldog and also via email for our Tech Tails TV broadcasts on Ustream. If you’re not familiar with Ustream, it’s generally used as a platform for live streaming and “lifecasting.”

    Tune your browsers to “http://www.ustream.tv/channel/tech-tails-tv”:http://www.ustream.tv/channel/tech-tails-tv Wednesday at 5:00 PM EST to watch live. We’ll record the show so you can watch it on our Ustream channel, YouTube, or our blog for viewing at any time.

    If you want to send questions in via Twitter, simply post your question and reference *@hellosmalldog* so we see you’ve posted. Or, simply send your questions to Matt at “matt@smalldog.com”:mailto:matt@smalldog.com or Rebecca at “rebeccak@smalldog.com.”:mailto:rebeccak@smalldog.com

    Check out our stream, “@hellosmalldog, here and follow us”:http://www.ustream.tv/user/hellosmalldog for future broadcasts!

  • Updated: New MacBook Pros!

    The MacBook Pros have been updated! All models (13-inch, 15-inch, and 17-inch) sport new and refined features.

    All new 13-inch, 15-inch, and 17-inch MacBook Pros include:

    * 4GB of RAM (expandable to 8GB)
    * Updated glass Multi-Touch trackpad, which now supports inertial scrolling
    * An updated notebook battery that delivers longer battery life on a single charge (up to 10 hours of wireless productivity on the 13-inch models)
    * Widescreen LED-backlit display
    * Sudden Motion Sensor to protect hard drive data
    * Slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+/-R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW) optical drive
    * Mini DisplayPort (VGA, DVI and HDMI adapters sold separately)
    * AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
    * Gigabit Ethernet port
    * iSight video camera
    * Two USB 2.0 ports (three on the 17-inch MacBook Pro)
    * One FireWire 800 port
    * SD card slot
    * Updated MagSafe Power Adapter

    All 13-inch MacBook Pro models now include faster Intel Core 2 Duo processors, 4GB RAM, a 10-hour built-in battery and the new NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics processor. With 48 processing cores, the new NVIDIA GeForce 320M is the fastest integrated graphics processor on the market, ideal for graphics intensive applications or high performance games. The GeForce 320M is apparently a custom production just for Apple.

    The 13-inch MacBook Pro is available in two configurations: one with a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo and 250GB hard drive priced at $1,199; and one with a 2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo and 320GB hard drive priced at $1,499.

    Bigger changes are found in the 15-inch and 17-inch models. They now ship with the 2.4GHz or 2.53GHz Intel Core i5 processor, with an option to upgrade to the more powerful 2.66GHz Intel Core i7 processor. While at first glance the processor clock speed is the same as the previous generation, the processor architecture in the i5 and i7 intel processors is completely different than the previous Intel Core 2 Duo.

    Apple states that they are the fastest dual-core processors available, with a smaller nanometer process, Hyper-Threading, and Turbo Boost, that improve performance up to 50% from previous models.

    All 15-inch and 17-inch models include two graphics processors, the new NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M for peak performance and Intel HD Graphics for energy efficient operation.

    The powerful new GeForce GT 330M is more than twice as fast as the GeForce 320M. Apple’s updated automatic graphics switching determines which graphics processor an application needs and switches instantly between processors to deliver peak performance and long battery life. Tightly integrated hardware and software allow the new 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro to deliver 8 to 9 hours on a single charge.

    The 17-inch MacBook Pro includes a high resolution 1920 x 1200 display, and the 15-inch MacBook Pro is now available with an optional high resolution 1680 x 1050 display. Customers can also upgrade their MacBook Pro with new 128GB, 256GB and 512GB solid state drives. Both the 17-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro screens can be upgraded with an anti-glare coating for an additional fee.

    As the industry’s greenest notebook lineup, every Mac notebook achieves EPEAT Gold status and meets Energy Star 5.0 requirements, setting a new standard for environmentally friendly notebook design. Each unibody enclosure is made of highly recyclable aluminum and comes standard with energy efficient LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. Mac notebooks contain no brominated flame retardants, are PVC-free and are constructed of recyclable materials.

    All Macs come with Mac OS X Snow Leopard, the world’s most advanced operating system, and iLife, Apple’s innovative suite of applications for managing photos, making movies and creating and learning to play music.

    Sure, the above two paragraphs are Apple PR speak–but not only are they true, but they (Snow Leopard and green tech) are two major reasons we love Macs!

    “Click to see all 13-inch MacBook Pros”:http://www.smalldog.com/category/x/x/x/Apple|MacBook_Pro_13in

    “Click to see all 15-inch MacBook Pros”:http://www.smalldog.com/category/x/x/x/Apple|MacBook_Pro_15in

    “Click to see all 17-inch MacBook Pros”:http://www.smalldog.com/category/x/x/x/Apple|MacBook_Pro_17in

  • Mac OS X Snow Leopard and Leopard Security Updates

    Apple has released a fresh batch of security updates for both Mac OS 10.6 Snow Leopard and Mac OS 10.5 Leopard. Apple says:

    bq. An unchecked index issue exists in Apple Type Services’ handling of embedded fonts. Viewing or downloading a document containing a maliciously crafted embedded font may lead to arbitrary code execution. This issue is addressed through improved index checking. Credit to Charlie Miller working with TippingPoint’s Zero Day Initiative for reporting this issue.

    To learn more about Apple Product Security, see the “Apple Product Security website.”:http://www.apple.com/support/security

    Get the updates at the links below, or via your Mac’s Software Update panel (found by clicking the Apple in the upper left corner of your Mac’s screen and choosing “Software Update…”).

    * “Security Update 2010-003 (Snow Leopard) (6.50 MB)”:http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1029

    * “Security Update 2010-003 (Leopard-Client) (218.6 MB)”:http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1027

    * “Security Update 2010-003 (Leopard-Server) (379.5 MB)”:http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1028

    The OS 10.5 Leopard updates on Apple’s site bundle updates, which is why they are so large file compared to the Snow Leopard updates.

  • MAC TREAT #121: Manage Top Sites in Safari

    Top Sites is one of Safari 4’s most notable features. Top Sites provides an at-a-glance preview of your favorite and most visited websites. While you browse, Safari 4 indexes and ranks your favorite sites, and then presents up to 24 thumbnails of those sites on a single page.

    Sites with a star icon in the upper-right corner have new content. A single click opens the page and updates its thumbnail. Whenever you want to return to your Top Sites page, click the Top Sites button in the bookmarks bar.

    Many people don’t know that this page is customizable. Open a new window in Safari 4 to see your Top Sites. Then, in the lower left corner of the Top Sites page click the “Edit” button. You can pin a favorite site to a specific location in the grid. That locks it into position, so you know just where to find it every time you open Top Sites.

    To see 24 Top Sites click the Small tab. To see 12 Top Sites click the Medium tab. To see 6 Top Sites click the Large tab. To arrange the order of your Top Sites, click and drag a Top Site to the location on the Top Sites grid where you would like it to appear. To remove a top site, click the X icon connected to the Top Site you wish to remove. To lock a top site, click the “Push Pin” icon connected to the Top Site you wish to pin.

    You can also manually add a webpage to Top Sites. First, load the page in Safari 4. Then drag the site icon located in the left side of the Address (URL) field to the Top Sites icon (the Top Sites icon looks like a waffle and is next to the Bookmarks icon.) This will add the website to the upper-left position in Top Sites.

    !http://blog.smalldog.com/images/1656.jpg!

  • _Dear Friends,_

    I am writing this from my hotel room in Hong Kong. I am here to attend two trade shows, the China Sourcing Fair and the Hong Kong Electronics Show. Tomorrow I head to Dongguan and Shenzhen to visit some of the factories that make our products and some new suppliers. I will also be meeting with our contact and friend in China, Simon Liao, who helps with product sourcing, design and packaging as well as logistics.

    I will take the train to Dongguan where Simon will meet me and Jason Wu from TekServe, who is my traveling companion on this trip. It is good to have another set of eyes looking at potential new products as we wander the trade show floors. My feet are very tired from cruising the aisles.

    We had dinner last night with Steve Bain from another excellent Apple Specialist in Utah, Simply Mac. We talked a lot about business and compared notes about the products we were seeking. Steve mentioned that he had gotten a custom suit made and handed me the tailor’s card. The tailor’s name was Happy so it was essential for Jason and me to check him out!

    Yup, we ordered some custom clothes. Jason got a couple of suits and I got a blazer and a leather jacket. They measured us up and told us to come back in two hours for a fitting and that the clothes would then be ready in two days. I hope they fit in my suitcase. Now that Happy has my measurements, I just have to send him an email and he can make me whatever I may need.

    It has been a pleasure traveling with the iPad. There were many vendors with all sorts of iPad cases and a few peripherals such as batter backups or aluminum stands for the iPad. I was a bit surprised that even though the iPad has not yet been released internationally, many of the exhibitors had iPads at their booths.

    I watched a movie, played Plants vs. Zombies and read a book on my iPad on the 18-hour flight to Hong Kong and I still had 50% battery left. Keeping in touch has been easy with the iPad, both with email and instant messaging. While I really like my instant messaging app, IM+, I cannot give it an unqualified endorsement yet. As of this writing, they have not yet fixed the bug that makes Apple Jabber servers and legacy SSL not function. Once they complete that, I would say it is an ideal IM program with support for just about every IM protocol. It also has a built-in browser so if someone chats you a link, you can open it without having to leave the program.

    Email is very functional and with the Apple bluetooth keyboard, I can rapidly answer email from my hotel room. While I am pretty fast on the built-in virtual keyboard, the small Bluetooth keyboard syncs easily and I am faster on that. I know the mail experience will improve with iPhone 4.0 software in the fall with integrated mail client, but managing my email load is just about as fast as with my MacBook Air.

    I think as a traveling companion, the iPad makes a lot of sense. With Pages and Numbers, I have access to word processing and spreadsheets, the Safari browser is fast (although I miss tabs) and you cannot beat the iPad for reading, movies and games!

  • Alice in Wonderland on iPad is Magical

    Now here’s an app that takes advantage of iPad’s capabilities! Alice in Wonderland really comes to life when read experienced on an iPad….

  • Early Thoughts on My iPad

    I am love with my iPad. It is easily the coolest gadget I have ever bought. After having spent the last few days playing with it non-stop, I have a much better sense of what it is and what it isn’t, as well as what its potential can be. I think the best way to explain my sense of this devil is to tell you about how I’ve been using it.

    This is hands down the best device I’ve ever browsed the web on. The other night My roommates were out and I spent the evening chilling on the couch with my iPad just surfing my usual sights and listening to some iTunes. There was no TV in the background or anything. It felt every bit as intimate and cozy as curling up with a favorite book and enjoying peace and quiet. I’ve never had that homey feeling with my laptop.

    The potential for games is also amazing, especially social games. The iPad was made to be passed around. Some friends and I were chatting in the living room while idly passing around the iPad and playing Worms HD. Each person would simply take their turn and then pass it to the next while the conversation simply filled the spaces in between. It didn’t have the dominating presence of a TV.

    I’ve been using the Pages app as much as possible to see what kind of working potential this device has. I’ll admit that if I needed to really get a full paper done, referencing lots of sources and actively researching at the same time, I would choose a full computer anytime. But I have my iMac or MacBook Pro for that.

    However, for writing a simple review like this one, or responding to quick emails, the iPad is a pleasure to use. Basically I’ve learned that the iPad is not a laptop. If you need to multitask with lots of windows and things going on, you want a computer. But if you just need to be able to reference or adjust documents, or keep in touch, or search the web on the go, the iPad has the possibility of replacing a laptop in a multiple computer set up. I have not opened my laptop once since I got this thing, though I did use my iMac once to write up a paper for school.

    Most of all though, I’m loving the simple things. Listening to programs with the NPR app, or browsing the gorgeously simple New York Times editor’s choice app is great over breakfast, and feels much more natural than sitting in front of my computer. Streaming ABC or Netflix videos is incredibly easy, as is downloading and reading Marvel Comics.

    It may sound like this is turning into just a list of my favorite apps which all do things I could do before, but that’s the point. The iPad is not about innovation in content, it’s about the experience and that experience is provided by the apps that developers put out. I hope developers keep up the good work, because so far the experience has been simply wonderful.

  • New MacBook Pros!

    The MacBook Pros have been updated! All models (13-inch, 15-inch, and 17-inch) sport new and refined features. All new 13-inch, 15-inch, and 17-inch…

  • Repair of the Week: Bizarre Keyboard Problem

    A MacBook Pro came in last week because it refused to render the “d” character when its key was pressed. This is bizarre behavior that I hadn’t seen before; usually when a customer reports this sort of problem, technicians don’t immediately believe it.

    We confirmed it was an issue and tried an external keyboard first. The problem persisted, so we knew it wasn’t the keyboard or top case. In MacBook Pros with silver keys on the keyboard, the keyboard and top case are two separate parts. Confirming it wasn’t either, we booted the computer up from a known-good external source. Your system’s restore disks are the perfect choice here, but we use a fancy NetBoot system that’s much faster and versatile.

    The problem went away when booted from the external source, confirming that hardware was not to blame. So, after a restart we started narrowing things down. By creating a new account on the computer, you can determine whether the problem is system-wide, or isolated to one particular user. Mac OS X is designed for multiple users, but there are core components that all accounts use.

    The new account did not show the symptom. Lower case “d” worked just fine. This means we needed to look at the user account.

    Knowing from experience that this sort of thing usually is a result of fiddling with the Universal Access preference pane, I headed there to look for the case. No luck. Google searches yielded little, and the replacing of various kernel extensions proved ineffective. By chance, I’d clicked on Macintosh HD once, and the name became editable. I decided to try the “d” key again, and the computer spoke “Macintosh HD.”

    Off to the Speech preference pane, where I unchecked “Speak selected text when the key is pressed” from the Text to Speech tab. Somehow, lower-case “d” was set to make the computer speak selected text.

  • Protecting Your Photographs

    Let me ask you a few questions: Do you have a digital camera? How many megapixels does your camera shoot? How many years and how many photos do you have on your computer?

    Now imagine this… tomorrow morning you wake up and turn your computer on. It boots slower than normal and all you see is a flashing question mark on a gray screen. Your heart drops and you start to think about all of the memories that made up your iPhoto library.

    The purpose of all this is to get you thinking about how many pictures you take every week and what would happen if one day you lost all of them. Could be 10 days or 10 years of photos; either way you’re losing all of those precious memories. Your best solution is to backup your files. The key to a true backup is to have your files in two places.

    My suggestion is to purchase a pair of identical external hard drives. Several hard drive units ranging from 250 gigabytes to 2 terabytes are becoming more and more affordable.

    “Click here to see Small Dog’s selection of external hard drives.”:http://www.smalldog.com/category/x/x/x/Storage_and_Backup|External_Hard_Drives

    When you’re finished with your photo shoot, birthday party or vacation, store your photos on your computer and then back it up to your external hard drive. It may also be good to store your external hard drive in a different location than your computer and pull it out once a week to backup your new work.

    I like to go one step further and back up my backup. My setup includes my MacBook which is backed up onto an external hard drive which is then mirrored to a second external hard dive. This allows me to delete some photos off my MacBook to free up space while still leaving my photos in two different locations.